Turkey’s main opposition party protests state of emergency with sit-ins across country

Supporters of Turkey’s main opposition party have staged sit-in demonstrations in all of the country’s  81 provinces to protest the state of emergency that was declared after a coup attempt in 2016. The demonstrations held Monday were organized as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government prepares this week to extend the state of emergency for a seventh time, AP said. The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) accuses the government of misusing its emergency powers to bypass parliament, erode democracy and go after government critics. The government says the unusual powers it acquires during a state of emergency are needed to deal with ongoing security threats. Hundreds of CHP supporters staged a protest on a street near Taksim Square In Istanbul after police blocked their access to the city’s main square.